Receptacle cleaning and filling apparatus



Oct. 16, 1934. w H, NEwEY 1,977,138

RECEPTACLE CLEANING AND FILLING APPARATUS Fild April 15, 1953 sSheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR I MM 9- 7 6M GLMJLQ ATTORNEY RECEPTACLE CLEANINGAND FILLING APPARATUS Filed April 13 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORMean/W 7 BY m4 mum ATTORNEY Oct. 16, 1934. w. H. NEWEY RECEPTACLECLEANING AND FILLING APPARATUS Filed April 13, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 13M QIMM.

ATTORN EY Patented Oct. 16, 1934 RECEPTAOLE CLEANING AND APPARATUSWilliam 1!. Newey, Hinglram, I

Pneumatic Scale Corporation,

a corporation of Application April 13, 1223, Serial No. 625,902 14Claims. (01. 226-88) This invention relates to apparatus for cleaningcontainers, and particularly bottles, and also to a unitary machine forcleaning and filling containers, such as bottles.

One object of the invention is to provide novel and improved apparatusfor pneumatically cleaning containers, and particularly bottles, andwhich finds particular use in removing foreign matter from newcontainers or bottles which may have accumulated therein during themanufacture thereof, and which is capable of cleaning the containers orbottles in a superior and more emcient and rapid manner than hasheretofore been possible.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel machine capableof pneumatically cleaning and then filling containers, and particularlybottles, in a more rapid, efiicient, and practical manner than hasheretofore been possible.

With these objects in view and such others as may hereinafter appear,the invention consists in the apparatus for cleaning containers, andparticularly bottles; in the combined cleaning and filling apparatus,and in the various structures, arrangements, and combinations of partshereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the endof this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention,Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a bottle cleaning and filling machine;Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. I, viewed from the right; and Fig. 4 isa sectional detail on line 4-4, Fig. i.

In general, the invention contemplates a novel and superior apparatusfor pneumatically cleaning containers and bottles, and which findsparticular use in removing from new bottles the small particles offoreign matter which may have accumulated therein during the process ofmanufacture.. In the improved bottle cleaning apparatus provision ismade for creating a vacuum within the bottle and utilizing the vacuumthus produced to induce the how into the bottle of a gaseous medium,preferably air, to the end that the foreign matter may be removed by theair current, and experience has shown that difficulties heretoforeexperienced with the pressure type pneumatic cleaning apparatus, whichhave heretofore been used, are overcome, as will be described by thepresent vacuum operated cleaning apparatus. Provision is preferably madefor simultaneously cleaning a plurality of bottles and for relativelymoving the bottles and individual suction nozzles into sealingengagement to the end that the foreign matter may be removed outwardlythrough the suction nozzles by the air current and thence conveyed to astorage receptacle in an efficient manner such as to prevent thedispersion of the foreign matter in the room in which the cleaningmachine is operating. This feature of the invention is particularlyuseful in providing sanitary conditions under which bottles and othercontainers may be filled subsequent to the cleaning operation. In itspreferred form the os invention is embodied in a combination cleaningand filling machine, and in which provision is made for pneumaticallycleaning a plurality of bottles, preferably by the application ofsuction, and subsequently filling them in an automatic 1o manner. Thecleaning and filling operations are preferably arranged to cooperatewith the mechanism for handling and moving the bottles or othercontainers to the end that uncleaned bottles may be fed continuouslyinto the machine, cleaned 7a automatically, and then filled, and thebottles automatically discharged from the machine.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate the different features ofthe invention as embodied in a machine for automatically cleaning andfilling bottles,- 10 represents a bottle supporting member which in theillustrated machine is adapted tooperatively support a plurality of rowsof bottles to thereby permit the bottles in one row to be cleaned whilethe bottles in a sucas ceeding row are being filled. The machine isfurther provided with a row of cleaning nozzles 12 and a row of fillingnozzles 14, and provision is made, as will be described, for elevatingthe bottle supporting member at the proper time in the. cycle ofoperation of the machine to present the mouth of the bottles intoengagement with said nozzles to enable the cleaning and fillingoperations to be performed. Provision is preferably made for feeding thebottles to be cleaned and filled into the machine upon an incomingconveyor comprising a belt 20 and for discharging the filled bottlesfrom the machine upon a discharge conveyor 21.

The empty bottles as they are taken from the shipping cases are ready tobe cleaned and filled are deposited on the belt 20 and are carried alongby this belt until they reach a stop 22 adjustably supported upon anupright member 24 forming a part of the machine frame. The belt 20 runsover an idler pulley 26 at one end of the machine and over a drivingpulley 28 at the other end of the machine. The driving pulley 28 is faston a shaft-20 driven through mechanism including a p ocket 32 last onthe shaft 30, a chain 34 and no a sprocket 36 which turns free on a stud38 supported on a vertical bracket 39. The sprocket 36 is provided witha bevel gear 40 attached thereto and arranged to mesh with a bevel gear42 attached to a worm wheel 43, and provision is made for continuouslydriving the worm wheel 43. As herein shown, the worm wheel 43 is drivenfrom a motor 45 supported upon a platen 47 forming a part of the machineframe through a belt 48 and pulley 49 fast on a shaft 53. The shaft 53is provided with a worm 51 which drives the worm wheel 43, the latterbeing fast upon a cam shaft 52. In this manner, a continuous motion isimparted to the conveyor belt 20 to thereby move the empty bottles intoa position in which the first bottle rests against the stop 22, whilethe machine is running.

Provision is made for transferring a plurality of the bottles from theirposition on the incoming conveyor belt 20 onto the bottle supportingmember 10 when the latter is in its depressed position with its surfaceflush with the surface of the conveyor belt 20. As herein shown,provision is made at each cycle of operation for thus transferring anumber of bottles corresponding to the number of cleaning or fillingnozzles 12, 14, and during the operation of the machine the transfer ofempty bottles from the incoming conveyor belt 20 to the bottlesupporting member operates to transfer the previously cleaned row ofbottles from a position under the cleaning nozzles 12 into a positionunder the filling nozzles 14, and simultaneously to effect the transferof the filled bottles from a position under the filling nozzles 14 ontothe discharge conveyor.

As herein shown, the bottle pushing mechanism comprises a bar 58 mountedon a slide 60 guided in brackets 62 mounted on the platen 47 of themachine. The slide 60 has a reciprocating motion imparted to it by a cam64 which operates on a lever 66 through a cam roll 68 and cam roll pin'70 fastened in the cam lever 66. The upper end of the cam lever 66 hasa forked end '72 which embrahes a roll '14 free on a stud 76 fastened ina plate 1'79 adjustably clamped to a bracket 181 attached to the slide60. The cam 64 is attached to the cam shaft 52 and rotates with it. Acounter balance weight 6'7 is attached to the cam lever a chain 69running over a pulley 73 free to turn on a pin '75 attached to a bracket'17 fastened to the underside of the platen 47.

The bottle supporting and elevating member 10 is formed with downwardlyextending sides 78, '79, to form side guides for the empty bottles beingconveyed into the machine on the incoming conveyor belt 20 and also forthe filled bottles leaving the machine on the outgoing conveyor.Provision is made for automatically moving the bottle supporting andelevating member 10 at predetermined times in the cycle of operation ofthe machine in order to elevate the bottles to cleaning and fillingposition and to subsequently lower the member 10 to a position flushwith the incoming belt 20 and discharge belt 21, and for this purposethe member 10 is rigidly attached to slide members by means of brackets81. The slide members 80 are guided in slideways formed in brackets 82supported by the platen 4''! above referred to. The bottle supportingand elevating member 10 is actuated by a cam 84 fast on the cam shaft 52by connections between it and the cam including a lever 86 fast on therock shaft 50 and including a cam lever 88 also fast on the rock shaft50 and which is provided with a cam roll 92 operating in the path 94 ofthe elevating cam 84. During the operation of the machine, .when thebottle supporting and elevating member 10 is in its lower position, thebottle pushing bar 58 operates to push a row of empty bottles from theincoming conveyor belt 20 into a position upon the bottle supportingmember 10 under the cleaning or suction nozzles 12, and this operationpushes over the row of previously cleaned bottles into a positionbeneath the filling nozzles 14 and at the same time the row ofpreviously filled bottles are pushed laterally from the bottlesupporting and elevating member 10 onto the outgoing conveyor belt 21 tobe discharged from the machine.

At each cycle in the operation of the machine, as the bottle supportingmember is elevated, two rows of bottles are lifted as shown in Fig. 3until the mouth of each bottle in each row contacts and makes a tightjoint with one of the series of cleaning or filling nozzles 12, 14,respectively.

In order to effect the pneumatic cleaning of the row of bottlescontacting with the cleaning nozzles 12, each nozzle 12 has provisionfor permitting air or other gaseous medium to be drawn into the bottleby suction produced in the bottle in a manner such that the dust andother foreign matter may be sucked with the air current upwardly andoutwardly from the bottle through the suction nozzle. As herein shown,each cleaning nozzle 12 comprises a rubber collar 100 fastened to thelower end of a stem 102 slidably mounted in a bracket 103 attached to alongitudinal bar 105, supported by an upright frame 107 resting on theplaten 47. Each stem 102 is provided with a passageway leading from theend of the nozzle outwardly through a side nipple 104 to which a rubberor other flexible tube 106 may be attached. The tubes cleaning nozzlesare connected to a pipe 108 leading to a vacuum tank 110. A vacuum pump112 of any usual or preferred construction is driven by a motor 114 bymeans of a belt 116 and pulleys 118, 120, and operates to create avacuum in the tank 110, being connected through a piping 122 andstrainer 124. A body of water 126 is preferably maintained in the bottomof the vacuum tank 110 and, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the pipe 108extends down below the surface of the water and is provided with aconical shaped hood 128 to minimize the agitation of the water due tothe incoming air. When the vacuum pump 112 is operating, a suction iscreated within the tank 110 and pipe 108, and also within a row ofcleaning nozzles 12. In order to permit an air current to tion createdtherein, as above described, a small vent tube 109 is provided attachedto the inside of each cleaning nozzle,--and the lower end of the venttube extends below the rubber contact collar 100 of the cleaning nozzles12 and into the mouth of the bottle when the latter is sealed by thecollar 100. The other end of the vent tube is open be drawn into eachbottle by the suc- 106 from all of the and extends out through the sideof the cleaning 1 .a cam roller 134 attached to a lever 136 by means ofa cam roll pin 138. A connecting rod 140 is,

the spring 164 would yield and thus prevent pivotally connected on oneend of this lever and operates the valve 130 through swivel connections142 on the end 01' a valve lever 144. A

spring 146 is connected to the second end of the cam lever 136, one endof said spring being attached to the underside of a platen 47 andoperating to keep the cam roller 134 on the surface of the cam 132. Thecam lever 136 is pivotally mounted on a stud 148 last in a. bracket 150attached to the underside of the platen 47. In operation the valve 130is operated to shut oil? the pipe 108 between the cleaning nozzles 12and the vacuum tank 110 during the period that the created in the row ofempty bottles which are in contact with the cleaning nozzles 12. Thevent tubes 109 permit free air to flow into the bottles establishing acurrent of air through the bottles and outwardly through the suctionnozzles into the vacuum tank, enabling any particles of foreign mattercontained in the bottles being .cleaned to be sucked out with the aircurrent through the cleaning nozzles 12 and into the vacuum tank 110.

From the description thus far it will be observed that the suctionoperated apparatus for cleaning the bottles enables the dust and otherforeignmatter to be removed from within the bottles and conveyed througha conduit system into the vacuum tank and that the latter acts as astorage for such foreign matter, preventing it from being dischargedinto the room, preventing contamination of the air and providing moresanitary conditions for the bottle filling operations to be performed.The described suction operated pneumatic cleaning apparatus alsoeliminates those dimculties which have heretofore accompanied the use ofpneumatic cleaning apparatus of the pressure type, because of thecondensation of moisture when the air was com pressed and itsaccumulation within the bottles. The wetting of the. inside of thebottles thus rendered the removal oi the dust and other foreign mattermore dimcult and, in some instances, impossible.

While the apparatus thus far described may be used with advantage as acleaning apparatus, it is preferred to incorporate it in a unitarycombination cleaning and filling apparatus, and, as

herein shown, the row of filling nozzles 14 which are arranged parallelto the cleaning nozzles 12, as shown by Figs. 1 and 6, are each slidablymounted in a bracket 158 attached to a longitudinal bar 160 supported byupright frames 162 resting on and fastened to the platen 47 of themachine frame. A spring 164 encircling a stem 166 of each filling nozzle14 is provided to allow the filling nozzle to yield slightly as themouth oi the bottle comes in contact with the rubber collar 100 on thebottom of each nozzle. The lower end of the spring 164 rests on a pin165 fast in the stem 166 of the nozzle, and the upper end of the springbears against the upper bearing of the bracket 158. Thus it will be seenthat ii a bottle should be out of proper alignment with a nozzle whenthe elevator is raised and any one of the vnozzles should strike the topedge of the bottle,

breakage of the bottle.

As above described, in the operation of the illustrated machineprovision is made for eifecting the operation of the bottle fillingmechanism to till the row of previously cleaned bottles simultaneouslywith the cleaning of the row of bottles under the cleaning nozzles 12,and while any filling mechanism may be employed, I prefer to effect thefilling of the bottles by mechanism constructed and operating inaccordance with the United States patent to Pennock, No. 1,737,677, towhich reference may be made. For the purpose of understanding thepresent invention it is thought suflicient to state that the bottles arefilled by the well known vacuum principle as clearly set forth in saidPennock patent. The liquid with which the bottles are to be filled iscontained in a tank 1'78 located at the back of the machine and belowthe level of the bottles to be filled. The liquid is drawn by vacuumcreated in the bottle through a suction pipe180, one end of which isimmersed in the liquid of the tank, the other end of which is connectedto the filling nozzles 14 at a nipple 182. A suction pump (not shown) ofwell known construction is connected to a pipe 184 which leads into andhas an opening at the top of an inverted bowl 186. A vacum is created inthe bowl 186 by the suction pump and when the mouth of the bottle issealed by the rubber collar 100, as shown in Fig. 3, the vacuum in thebowl operates through a check valve 188, a pipe 194, a flexible tubing196 and a passageway 198 extending down through the filling nozzles 14into the inside of the bottle to evacuate the bottle. The suction of thebottle is connected with the suction pipe 180 by a tubular member 200positioned concentrically inside'oi an outer tube 202, and thepassageway through this tube 200 is connected with a chamber 204 of thefilling nozzle 14 which in turn is connected with the suction pipe 180.

When the air is exhausted from the bottle to be filled, the liquid inthe tank 178 will be caused to how through the suction pipe 180 throughthe chamber 204 and through the tube 200 into the bottle. When thebottle is filled so that the liquid reaches the bottom of the fillingnozzle 14, the suction from the vacuum pump draws 0d any further liquidcoming into the bottle through the passage 198 and chamber 204 and intothe bowl 186, and the surplus liquid may subsequently be drawn back tothe tank 178, thus filling all bottles to the se height.

It will be observed that the filling operatic automatically coences whenthe elevator 46 lifts the bottles to filling position and is completedbefore the elevator again descends. When the elevator 46 descends andthe contact is broken between the rubber collar 100 and the mouth of thebottle, the suction in the bottle is broken and the flow of liquid fromthe tank 178 through the filling nozzles 14 I is terminated. Any surplusliquid that is drawn into the bowl 186 finds its way back to the tank178 through a drain pipe 206 which is provided on its end with a checkvalve 208 for preventing the flow of liquid through this pipe when thebowl 186 is under vacuum. As illustrated in Fig. 1, two bowls 186 may beused, and the suction line from the vacuum pump 112 may be connectedthrough a valve, not shown, designed to operate periodically tp releasethe vacuum on the bowls alternately, as clearly set forth in the PennockPatent, No. 1,737,677.

After the bottles have been cleaned and filled in the manner describedand the elevator has moved to its lower position, the filled bottles areejected onto the outgoing belt 21 by the movement of the next andpreviously cleaned row in position beneath the filling nozzles, aspreviously described. It will be observed that the illustrated machineis designed to automatically handle, clean, and fill the bottles rapidlyand in an economical, sanitary, and efllcient manner, requiring minimumhandling. The single elevator for simultaneously presenting the row ofbottles to be cleaned to the cleaning nozzles, and the previouslycleaned bottles to the filling nozzles, together with the vacuum fillingmechanism, enables the unitary machine to be of a relatively simple anddurable construction.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been hereinillustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention maybe embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention. what is claimed is l. Thecombination with bottle filling mechanism, of conveying mechanism for'conveying bottles into operative position ready to be filled, and meansadapted to seal the bottles for pneumatically cleaning the interior ofthe bottles fed into the machine prior to their movement into fillingposition, said means being constructed and arranged to preventcontamination of the bottle filling operation by the foreign bodiesremove during the cleaning operation.

2. In a machine for cleaning bottles, in combination, a suction conduit,a nozzle pperatively connected therewith, bottle supporting means forrelatively moving the nozzle and bottle to seal the mouth of the bottleby said nozzle, said nozzle being provided with two portions, oneextending down into the bottle when the latter is sealed and throughwhich air may be drawn into the bottle by the suction created therein,and the other for permitting ,the suction within the suction conduit todraw the air from the bottle outwardly through said suction conduitwhereby foreign bodies may be sucked out of the bottle with said air.

3. In a machine for cleaning bottles, in combination, bottle supportingmeans, a suction noz-' zle, means'for creating a suction within thesuction nozzle including a suction conduit and a suction tank, means forrelatively moving the bottle and nozzle to cause the nozzle to seal themouth of the bottle, said nozzle having one portion extending down intothe bottle for admitting air thereto when the bottle is sealed andanother portion for permitting the air within the bottle to be suckedoutwardly through said suction line whereby foreign bodies may be suckedout of the bottle with said air.

4, In a bottle cleaning machine, in combination, aplurality of nozzles,means for simultaneously creating suction within the nozzles and withinthe bottle for eifecting the cleaning thereof and the conveyance offoreign bodies outwardly therefrom through said nozzles, means formoving the bottles to be cleaned into a position to be sealed by saidnozzles, each of said nozzles being provided with a portion extendingdown into the bottle when the latter is sealed and through which air maybe introduced into the bottle by the vacuum created therein.

5. In a bottle cleaning machine, in combination, a plurality of nozzles,means for moving the bottlesto be cleaned into a position to be sealedby said nozzles, and means for pneumatically effecting the cleaning ofthe bottles and the onveyance of foreign bodies outwardly from thin thebottles through said nozzles, including means for creating suctionwithin the bottles, each of said nozzles being provided with a portionextending down into the bottle when the latter is sealed and throughwhich air may be drawn into the bottle by the vacuum created therein.

6. In a machine for cleaning containers, in combination, containersupporting means, a suction conduit, means for connecting the containerand suction conduit in, sealed relationship to evacuate the container,and means for permitting an air stream to be introduced to within thecontainer by vacuum within the container including a nozzle extendingdown into the container, and to thereby enable foreign bodies within thecontainer to be sucked out through said suction conduit with said'airstream.

7. In a machine for cleaning containers, in combination, containersupporting means, a suction and storage tank, a suction conduitconnected with the tank, means for connecting the container with thesuction conduit in sealed relationship to evacuate the container, andmeans for permitting an air stream to be introduced into the containerby the suction created therein including a nozzle extending down intothe container when the latter is sealed, and to thereby permit foreignbodies to be sucked from the container with the air stream outwardlythrough the suction conduit and into said suction tank to be storedtherein.

8. In a machine for cleanng containers, in combination, a suctionconduit, means for connecting the suction conduit and container,container moving and supporting means, means for permitting the vacuumcreated within the container to draw in an air stream to thereby enableforeign bodies to be sucked with the air stream outwardly through saidsuction conduit, and a valve operatively connected with said containermoving means controlling the suction in said suction condui 9. Thecombination with bottle filling mechanism, of conveying mechanism forconveying bottles into the machine, a plurality of suction nozzles eachhaving a portion adapted for insertion into the bottle to permit thesuction'created therein to draw air therethrough into the bottle, meansfor effecting the sealing of the mouth of the bottle by said nozzle, andmeans including a conduit system having provision for conducting awaysubstantially all of the foreign bodies removed from the bottles duringthe cleaning operation to thereby prevent contamination of the bottlefilling operation.

10. In a bottle filling machine, in combination, a pneumatic cleaningnozzle having a portion adapted for introduction down into the interiorof a bottle and through which air is introduced therein, bottle fillingmeans, bottle supporting means for effecting the sealing of a bottlewith the pneumatic cleaning nozzle and the supporting of a previouslycleaned bottle in bottle filling position, and means rendered operativeupon the completion of the cleaning operation and after removal of theaforesaid portion of the cleaning nozzle, for moving a cleaned bottleinto a position in alignment with the bottle filling mechanism.

11. In a bottle cleaning machine, in combination, a bottle sealingnozzle having a substantially straight air admitting member for inserforrelatively moving the bottle and said seal-,

3 ing nozzle to seal the-mouth of the bottle, and

means for establishing suction in the suction conduit.

12. In a bottle filling machine, in combination, bottle fillingmechanism, bottle cleaning mechanism, said bottle cleaning mechanismincluding a bottle sealing nozzle having a substantially straight airadmitting member for insertion into the bottle, and a suction conduitfor drawing air from the bottle outwardly around said air admittingmember, means for relatively moving the bottle and sealing nozzle toeiiect the sealing of the mouth of the bottle, and a conduit havingprovision whereby substantially all of the foreign bodies removed fromthe bottle may be conducted away from the vicinity of the bottle fillingmechanism for the purpose specified.

13. In a bottle filling machine, in combination, a pneumatic cleaningnozzle having a portion adapted forintroduction down into the interiorof a bottle and through which air is introduced therein, means forrelatively moving the bottle and nozzle to efiect the introduction ofthe cleaning nozzle down into the bottle and for subsequently removingthe same therefrom, means for effecting a pneumatic cleaning of theinterior of the bottle while the nozzle is extended therein, includingmeans for creating suction within the bottle, means rendered operativeupon completion of the cleaning operation and after removal of saidportion of the nozzle for moving the cleaned bottle into bottle fillingposition, and means for thereafter filling the previously cleanedbottle.

14. In a bottle cleaning machine, in combination, bottle supportingmeans, means for pneumatically cleaning the interior of a bottlesupported on said-bottle supporting means, including a substantiallystraight air admitting member mounted for insertion down into the bottleand through which air may be introduced into the bottle, a nozzleprovided with a suction conduit for drawing air from the bottleoutwardly around said air admitting member, means for relatively movingthe bottle and said nozzle to cause the mouth of the bottle to engagesaid nozzle, and means for establishing suction in the suction conduit,said suction conduit being closed for a substantial length thereofwhereby to permit the foreign bodies removed from the bottle to beconducted away from the vicinity of the bottle.

WILLIAM H. NEWEY.

